We'd like to say "Congratulations!" to all our clients who, over the past six months, have achieved successful transition audits and are now accredited to the ISO 9001:2015 and/or ISO 14001:2015 Standards.

Great Place to Work® UK is part of a global research, consulting and training consultancy that helps organisations identify, create and sustain great workplaces through the development of high-trust workplace cultures.

They support and advise businesses, non-profit organisations and government agencies in 50 countries on all six continents, their in-depth knowledge of organisational cultures across the globe giving them a unique insight into what makes a great workplace.

Many high achieving companies are in the offing for their coveted "Best Place to Work" rankings, so very well done to the Sovini Group for topping the list in the large company category!

You may be already aware that ISO 45001 is replacing OHSAS 18001, but are you aware of the differences between the two and the time-scales for migration? See our article below for more information and if you should need some help or advice, bear in mind that we have some very experienced ISO Lead Auditors amongst our Associates who would be able to support you every step of the way if necessary.

In fact we have, among our Associates, experience in a wide range of ISO management system standards and have been extremely busy in the last year supporting clients in the implementation of these, including helping them achieve and maintain accreditation. This has meant helping some of them transition to the newer versions of standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. See our congratulations below left to those who have achieved accreditation during this period.

We covered transition to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 in our July 2017 Newsletter and if any of you still need to make this transition you are probably already aware that after September this year all audits will be against the 2015 versions and accreditation to the older versions will no longer be valid. Also, you are probably following some form of structured approach to achieve transition successfully within this deadline. However, you may need some help in ensuring you are ready and will meet the new requirements. We are very skilled in helping and advising in this area, including conducting readiness reviews and gap analysis audits. Do
contact us if you think you might need our help or support.

As well as supporting clients, ley hill solutions has, as UK EFQM Ambassadors, recently been actively involved in helping the EFQM put together a new series of workshops on a subject that has been dear to our hearts for a very long time i.e. exploring the convergence of ISO type standards and the EFQM Excellence Model to go beyond audit based improvement and develop into an excellent organisation focused on innovation and creativity. The workshops are called Excellence Beyond ISO and we also expect to be involved in their delivery. See the article below for more information about the workshops, including when and where they are taking place and how to register.

And do have a look at our other congratulatory article below left, where we say "well done" to the Sovini Group, who have achieved number one ranking in the UK Best Workplaces: Large Category 2018. An excellent achievement!

ISO 45001 is here - are you ready?

OHSAS18001, which although not an international standard as such, has long been the leading specification for Occupational Health and Safety management worldwide. In recognition of this it has been the main basis for the creation of a new
ISO Standard for Health & Safety Management,
ISO 45001, which as well as taking the content of OHSAS 18001, has also incorporated the Annex SL structure now being adopted by all of ISO's Management Systems Standards. Follow
this link to a past ISO news article called *Management makeover - New format for future ISO management system standards*, that explains about the Annex SL structure and why it was developed.

ISO 45001 now replaces OHSAS 18001.

The Changes

The new standard, published on 12 March 2018, is in the Annex SL format and although nothing has been removed from OHSAS 18001, there are some completly new requirements specific to ISO 45001 e.g. in 5.4 consultation and participation of workers, in 6.1.2 hazard identification and assessments of risks and opportunities.

The key changes to requirements are those resulting from the introduction of more focus on the strategic context and a process led approach. Auditors will be looking for how the standard is used to support the overall strategy of the organisation, rather than as a stand alone tool.

In particular they will expect to see -

greater engagement of top management

principles embedded in the culture of the organisation

a process approach (rather than a clause by clause tick list)

consultation and participation, seeking people's views and involving them in decision making and change

communication as a process that has been designed and planned

greater focus on health (not just safety), including mental and cognitive conditions and psychosocial hazards

Migration

It is intended that OHSAS 18001 will be completely phased out by accreditation bodies and replaced by ISO 45001:2018. Organisations currently accredited to OHSAS 18001 are expected to have migrated to the new standard no later than March 2021. Organisations wishing to adopt the Health & Safety Management System Standard for the first time should use the new ISO 45001.

Do please
contact us if you would like to know more or would like any help either with migration or with implementing the standard for the first time. We can offer expert advice that will help you understand the requirements of ISO 45001 or provide a gap analysis to identify any changes that you may need to make in order to meet the new ISO 45001 certification requirements.

Excellence beyond ISO

Here at ley hill solutions we have always believed that true excellence is a lot more than using quality improvement tools and techniques to gain ongoing incremental improvement or the mere application of auditable standards (however helpful these can be in managing your systems) without some sort of holistic approach to using these tools in the context of your overall vision, purpose and strategy.

This is why we have always, from our earliest origins, strongly supported the use of frameworks like the
EFQM Excellence Model which take a holistic and strategic approach to organisational excellence.

But we understand that there are many reasons for using other frameworks as well - such as those within the ISO group of management system standards and that, with the ISO standards in particular, there are also external pressures (e.g. from customers and suppliers or the law) for organisations to gain specific accreditations.

Trying to implement in tandem various standards and/or excellence frameworks like the
EFQM Excellence Model can at first glance seem to invite confusion and duplication of effort and therefore these methodologies are often seen as conflicting rather than mutually beneficial.

However, in practice and used within a strategic context, far more can be gained from their mutual use than you might expect. In fact they can be used separately, sequentially or in conjunction with one another in a way that leads to the very highest levels of organisational excellence. This is what the EFQM workshop Excellence Beyond ISO is about.

The next two workshops are being held at the EFQM offices in Brussels on the 11th &12th September and the 13th &14th November.

For more information about the workshop content, who it is aimed at, price and to register,
click here.

Sincerely,

Graham Hullley hill solutions limited

Sincerely,

Graham Hullley hill solutions limited

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